There's no way Martha saw this coming
by lindygirl0408
Summary: Fresh off the campaign, Rory & a new friend set off for a holiday at Martha's Vineyard where she has to come face-to-face with her most recent breakup from Logan. Are the wounds too deep for her to feel "normal again?" How many curves will life throw her?
1. Arrivals

**A/N: This is my first fanfic…PLEASE leave me some feedback. Positive or Negative. All is appreciated! (For those of you who need to know, I am for Rogan all the way!)**

"I…have arrived," I said, at the end of a sigh. After a cross-country flight and a smelly cab ride, the cool, stone floors and the fresh ocean breeze of my temporary home seemed utterly soothing. No more crammed bus rides, no more sack lunches, and no more brick-like hotel beds, at least, not for the summer. I had never truly appreciated my, now former, co-worker, and friend until this moment. "Okay, Lucifer, where do I sign?"

"This is not a trick Jace, no souls required to enter." You have got to appreciate a friend who understands your ramblings without a decoder. Rory and I were born to be friends. I don't think I would have survived months on a Greyhound if I had to explain my use of sarcasm throughout every conversation. "Did you ever think we would make it here? I thought that flight was at least two hours longer than it was supposed to be. Coffee?"

"You know you don't have to ask me twice. Where should I drop my bags?"

Rory gazed around the room looking for the appropriate hallway. "Well, since we're 'grown-up,'" she used air quotes, "free, I figured I would take the master suite on this level, and you could pick whichever suite you want on the upper level."

The one thing I knew for sure of Richard and Emily Gilmore was that they would never have a problem with lack of space, or low-quality anything. I had only met them once when our tour stopped outside of Hartford, Connecticut. They came to watch their granddaughter in action and showed no sign of disappointment in what they witnessed. I could hardly blame them. Rory seemed timid and shy, and, mostly, she was. But put her in a conference room full of politicians and there was no stopping her. I definitely had to admire, and envy, her obvious natural talent for getting a story out of anything. When she wrote, it was as if she was ignited by some kind of wildfire. She was constantly pushing and criticizing herself. In Hartford particularly.

The Gilmore's had put us up in their "house", I use that term loosely, (it was something more like a mansion/museum to me) for the duration of our stay in Connecticut. After a long day of reporting we were treated to the best dinner I'd ever had, dessert back at the house where Lorelai, Rory's mother-slash-best-friend and her fiancé, Luke, met up with us, and a relaxing evening of our choosing afterward. I was prepared to beg Rory, sitting at the desk mumbling to herself and frantically typing and retyping, for a night on the town, and maybe a little man-scouting until I heard her babbling, "Well Mitchum, who doesn't 'have what it takes' now?" And she continued until daylight broke through the windows.

The elegant home I was standing in now was unmistakably a home designed for Emily Gilmore- exquisite Victorian-style fabrics, dark woods, and huge collections of antiques…all classic Emily. I took my leave, making my way up the grand staircase of the sea-side home, making sure to look for the brilliant details used throughout the architecture and décor, and Rory headed to the kitchen to fiddle with the coffee pot.

"Okay, seriously, is age twenty-four too old for your Grandparents to adopt me?"

"We've been over this before! Strings, Pinocchio, strings!" Rory was referring to the conversation we'd had with her mother after the dinner with the grandparents. The Gilmore's all but kidnapped Rory and I right from the conference and took us to a fancy dinner knowing full well that Lorelai had planned a quiet, Richard and Emily free, evening at the diner her fiancé owned.

I had made my way to the private bathroom at this point, and it was indescribable. "Okay, I am starting to forget why that is a bad thing…" I chose the last room on my right, simply because it was the most plainly decorated, and that suited me. It was time to unpack, shower, and get gussied up for a night at the Vineyard. There was a gathering at one of the local wineries, and there was no way I was going to let us miss that. Every once in a while the guard that Rory had up would come down, and a night of wine tasting was sure to help her out.

Although she insisted that she wasn't heartbroken anymore, she never talked about her most recent breakup. I didn't even know his name, and we had spent months sharing the same cheap hotel rooms together! The most she ever told me about it was that she'd almost gotten married to her college sweetheart, but chose to work instead. It was a very brief conversation one night before the tour moved on to another state. A group of us stopped in a local bar somewhere in the bleakness of Nebraska, to have a few drinks. Liza, another girl writing on the campaign, was talking about the next weekend when she was to be Matron of Honor at her sister's wedding and Rory drunkenly replied with, "I almost got married once. He proposed to me. My boyfriend did, yep. In front of everyone I know, and a hundred more that I didn't. The day before my graduation…what was he thinking?" She rested her head on her folded arms and shook it from side to side.

I had never heard a breath of Rory's dating life until then. We were two months on the road at that point. It made me curious about this girl that I thought I had known pretty well and I tried to get more out of her, "Your boyfriend? Who Rory? I didn't know you had been seeing someone before you left for work. What happened?"

I don't think she was really meaning to speak out loud because her next response was vaguer than the first. She acted like no one else was around. "Books and flowers and coffee carts…I stole a boat with you, but you can't give me some time to digest this? You live in London, across the Atlantic, but you can't live in San Francisco for a short time without me? 'It's all or nothing Rory,'" she said in a mocking tone. "Well, how's that _nothing_ working out for you? Cause it's just _great_ for me." Even through her sarcasm tears managed to break through and I didn't press the issue any further. I walked Rory back to our hotel, her still silently sobbing. He was in her dreams that night. I know because she 'asked' him if he missed her at all and she said, "Good, I miss you too," and some other short phrases about an avocado tree, cheese rolling, and Birkin bags. (I will have to find a way to learn what the Birkin part was all about…) We never spoke of that night. Rory had not been on a date since before I met her on our first day of work, and I was determined to change that this summer before we went our separate ways.

There was a knock at my bedroom door. "Room service," Rory exclaimed. "I come with your daily dose of caffeine Miss."

"Well it sure took you long enough. Make it faster next time and you might get a tip!" I jested, and opened the door to receive my beverage. "You're a life saver ya know. There is no other person on this planet that I can trust to make a perfect cup of coffee, except maybe your mother, but I've only heard rumors." Rory stepped into the room and took a seat on the chest on the end of the bed. "So, what are you wearing tonight? I don't even know how fancy this shindig is. I am guessing that, because of where we are, it is a black tie affair. If we go with that, the worst case scenario is that we are over dressed, but looking glamorous, and I can totally live with that." I live for fashion and I will use any excuse to break out a great dress and some slightly scandalous heels.

"I was really hoping to catch up on my reading tonight since this is the first night that we haven't had articles to send in. I have been painfully ignoring my collection, and my grandma just added books to the library downstairs."

"Rory, there will be plenty of time to catch up. I am sure it is bound to rain at some point on this vacation, and you can read then. Pushkin can wait," Rory flinched at my words, and I knew she was now working at repressing a memory. She made that same face whenever a painful memory had crossed her mind. It used to concern me, but now I just pressed on, "This night isn't just about me wanting to cut loose, we both need this! I haven't gone out, or seen a real man in months! And I know the same is true for you. This will be a peaceful night, and we may just come back in time for you to sniff a few books downstairs." I leapt across the room in three strides to my waiting luggage searching for my garment bag. "Aha!"

"It's never a good sign for me when you exclaim things like you're Sherlock Holmes." Rory definitely looked uneasy.

"Great…now I am day dreaming about Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law." I looked into the eyes that I was forever jealous of, clearly forgiven, and we both started laughing. I had an endless list of celebrity crushes that Rory and I could find some amusement in. "I have the perfect outfits for us! Go freshen up, and be ready to leave by six. That gives us two hours to primp."

Rory picked up the hanger I had thrown in her lap and looked at the cloth draped over it questionably. "You have seriously lost your mind. I don't need to wear this fancy, yet slightly promiscuous, cocktail dress to a wine tasting." She continued to eyeball the knee-length black dress in her hands, probably wondering what cardigan she could throw over it to hide the low back and halter neckline. Rory always had the greatest taste in clothing, but she never wanted to show off skin. That was going to have to change tonight if I was going to loosen her up. _Or find someone else to do it for me_, I thought with a muffled giggle.

"Rory, just because we aren't drinking mixed cocktails at some Hollywood party doesn't mean we can't look the part. Besides, you know I love getting dressed up. And if I never wear another pantsuit in my life, I can die truly happy! I want us to be noticed and envied tonight. No arguments. You are going to look amazing!"

She let out a long sigh, and stood up to leave, dress still in hand. "I am going to have to tell my mother that you are a bad influence on me. You're so pushy!" I was victorious. "Okay, but if I do this, you are coming to sniff five books with me tomorrow…" she said over her shoulder as she sulked off to get ready downstairs.


	2. Do I know you?

Two fashion-savvy girls were hitting the town tonight, and nothing was going to stop us from having a good time. Rory and I carefully got out of the chauffeur-driven car and headed for the ten foot doors ahead. We entered the great room of the winery and were stunned with the French-style architecture. It literally took my breath away and it also appeared that Rory wasn't sorry that we came out tonight. Her eyes were urgently scanning every detail of the room and committing it to memory while the smile on her face was immediately revealing her marvel. The room was filled with other guests all dressed to impress, men in tuxedos and women in floor length gowns. We were definitely going to stand out in the crowd in our short, chic dresses. Rory glanced over to me and I smiled guiltily. With one look around the room she instantly knew my plan was in process of being carried out and that she was going to have to go along for the ride.

I tried to break the glare I was getting with some light conversation, "So, great turn out, huh? I think this is going to be really fun. But there are so many of us. I wonder how we all get served?"

"I'm not sure Judas; you didn't have us placed into a group of only men yet? I am disappointed in you. Or is there an auction for a date with me to take place in the next room?" She wasn't mad, just not surprised that I had chosen an event that at the winery that consisted mostly of men our age with a few of their significant others added in to the mix.

"Of course not. I just thought "Beer V.S. Wine" night sounded like a good time and a good way to…mingle." I started walking over toward the crowd so I could scan for any possibilities, and Rory followed. We were stopped only a few paces into the room by someone who was working the event.

"Hello, welcome to Chicama Vineyards. Could I have your names please?"

"Oh, of course; Jace Sheridan and Rory Gilmore." I had made the reservations for our places as soon as I was certain we were going to have a vacation together, three months ago. I didn't expect the next event to occur though:

"Ah, yes. Miss Sheridan, you are heading for the Red Room," he pointed off to the left, "and Miss Gilmore to the Rose Room," to the right. "We will then reconvene here for the remainder of the evening and for the beer tasting. Any questions?" Woops.

Rory took a step forward. "These reservations were made ages ago, I don't understand why didn't we end up together?"

The host had obviously gotten this question before. "We try to make the experience complete by catering to your tastes, and providing a different selection for everyone." Rory looked confused, but a light bulb went off in my head.

"Oh, right," I responded. "When I signed up, I had to fill out a questionnaire about wines I like and didn't like, and I did the same for you. After the questions it explained the different tastes and it did mention something about groups. They are going to put us with groups of people who enjoy the same wines we do so that we can discuss them and compare tastes. I guess I just didn't realize that it was going to be completely separate." She looked a little hesitant, but she was always up for a challenge. "Well, at least we get to meet people who like the same things we do. I think this will be fun! Now go mingle with your group over there," I pointed to the group off to the right that consisted of six guys and two girls and smiled. When I looked over toward my group to check out the man to woman ratio, I was not unhappy. Luck seemed to be on both of our sides. Five guys and one girl stood together laughing. It seemed as if most of them knew each other.

"Seven books!" Rory shouted as we parted ways. Part of our agreement to get her to come out all dressed up was that I check out some books back at the house with her. _She's crazy. There is no way I am going to sit in a room smelling books with her_.

"Have _fun! _ And relax!" I called back and gave a wink so she would know what kind of "fun" I was talking about. She returned my wave and walked away shaking her head in amusement. As I walked over toward the group I was to be part of, I was scanning the faces for possibilities, either for me, or for Rory. _Wow, there is a lot of potential here_, I thought. I was just catching the end of their conversation as the doors to the room started to open.

"Well at least there's no base jumping on this trip." One guy said while giving a funny look to his friend. The entire group seemed to be in on the joke because they all laughed. The banter went back and forth until we were seated at a rectangular dining table. Now all eyes were glancing at me. No one spoke right away; I'm guessing it was because my presence was not known about until now. The servers came out and placed some empty glasses in front of us, and after they left, the first person spoke to me with an accent.

"Hello. Hello. Didn't realize there was an addition to the group. We will be sure to help you have a good time, Luv." He paused for a moment. "Do I know you?"

"Um, no I don't think so. I'm from New York, just staying here with a friend on vacation before we start new jobs in a few months," I responded a little confused.

The other girl in the group rolled her eyes at her friend. "Don't mind him. We've been his friends for years and he's only just started to remember that he knows us." The group laughed and I smiled too. "We're all from Connecticut except for them. They live in San Francisco," she pointed to the two men on my left. "I'm Stephanie by the way."

"Oh, yeah, hi. I guess I forgot that part…I'm Jace." There must be something in the water in Connecticut, because there was not one person in this group that didn't belong in pictures. The gorgeous Aussie seated across from me, the blonde, leggy Stephanie, the guy seated on her left who appeared to be more than a friend, the sandy-blonde haired, brown eyed work-of-art was seated on his left and to my right, and on my left was a brunette with well kept hair and perfectly chiseled bone structure, and another brunette with dark brown, very short, hair and a tan to match perfectly.

"Glad you could join us. I'm Jonathon." The tan guy held his hand out to me and shook mine gently. He held my gaze for a little longer than he should, and I felt my face flush then pulled my hand away.

"Definitely glad you're here," said the guy on my immediate left with a half smile. "There is way too much testosterone in this group, for me. I'm Parker." He too, took my hand but brought it up to place a soft kiss on it. More blushing.

"Stop trying to be smooth Parker. It never works, and you always end up begging Stephanie to ditch Colin for a while. Sorry about them," the blonde one said with an arrogant smile. "They don't know how to act around beautiful women. I'm Logan, and that's Collin next to Stephanie there and Finn, who you've already had the _dis_pleasure of speaking to." I already knew this night was going to be great. I only hoped Rory was allowing herself to have just as good of a time.

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

We were about nine samples in (I think) and the conversation was a lot more relaxed then it was prior to the wine. There was plenty of debate when I let slip that I went to Cornell at a table full of Eli's, but Parker and Jonathon backed me up. They had both gone to Stanford. I loved feeling like I was part of their circle of friends. It was so comfortable. _I never want this part of the night to end_! I continuously thought. For most of the time, the thought of Rory barely crossed my mind. In fact, the only time I consciously remember hoping she was having as good of a time, was when we were being served our last sample of wine.

"There is no way you're getting any girl from this event to go home with you Parker," Colin challenged his friend. "The only reason most of these girls are here is because their _boyfriends _ are here." All eyes glanced over toward my direction. "Jace even came with someone, not that she is interested in you anyway."

"Oh, well actually, I came with a girlfriend." Finn looked hopeful. "My friend who is a girl, Finn, not my hot lesbian lover." I rolled my eyes and we all started laughing. _I wish she was here. She is never going to believe how incredible all these guys are_.

Logan placed his arm on the back of my chair, very nonchalant. "You never had a chance anyway man. Jace totally has a thing for blondes. She just told Steph her top five celebrity crushes, and four of them were blonde. I think we all know who has the best chance here."

Stephanie to my rescue, "I hope you don't mean yourself, Logan! Jace isn't another one of your gold-digging-floozies from the bar. I'm surprised she's still sitting next to you after all the stories you've been describing, too vividly, for us. I think she's just too nice to get up and slap you." Now the crowd was laughing at Logan's expense. He just shook his head and leaned back in his seat. His arm never moved. "Anyway, I can't believe this part is over already! We're going to be separated after this to go to the beer tasting," Stephanie complained. "Hey wait! Why don't we all go back to my place after this? Bring your friend, Jace. You can even spend the night if you want to. Then you don't have to worry about Parker or Logan trying to get you to go home with him. If you're already there, it doesn't count!" More laughter ensued.

"Well, I'm not sure how that will go over. My friend's been in kind of a funk since her last breakup. I had to drag her here, and I'm not sure she's too happy that I set her up tonight. Although, the odds are a lot higher with alcohol in her system." I contemplated the odds for a moment and couldn't come up with a confident "yes."

"Well, now that the fun part of the evening is over, I'm going to head back and stock up for the festivities later. Anyone else coming?" Logan offered.

"I follow the most endless supply of alcohol, Mate, I'm with you," Finn responded. In the end, only Parker and Jon, were left behind so they could direct us back to Steph's place later, if I could get Rory to come along.

After the others had left, we were excused into the other room. Most of the other groups were already seated in various places and to my surprise, and excitement, the section with the loudest laughing group was centered around my friend. Rory was laughing and joking. She looked like the _real_ Rory as opposed to the drone I walked in with; unguarded, cheery, sarcastic, and full of wit. "Oh my god, there she is!" Rory announced and pointed at me. Her next words came out practically as one sentence, "Jace, we saved you a seat! What happened to the rest of your group? Did your jokes put everybody to sleep again? What have I told you about boring poor innocent bystanders?" Yep, definitely Rory, except influenced by alcohol instead of caffeine.

"Well, I'm glad to know you're getting along without me. I am choosing to ignore your snub for the moment so I can inform you that; No Rory, my group is not asleep in the other room. They left to set up for an after party that I promised we would go to." I looked to either side at the men standing next to me, "This is Parker and this is Jon. They stayed behind because I was, unfortunately, obligated to _not _abandon you. Although, I am seriously having second thoughts about leaving you here." Her eyes lit up a little when she looked at them. I knew Parker would be her type, especially with that bone structure. That was all she talked about in our "who's hotter than who" debates. "Jon, Parker, this is my best friend, although I can't remember why, Rory."

The guys didn't seem disappointed with her either. They both gave her greetings very similar to the greeting they gave me, but slightly more inappropriate because she was standing, giving them the chance to eye her from head to toe. _So that's why the followed me over here, rather than walking next to me…for the view_! I stifled a laugh. Jon politely invited the members from the group that included Rory to the party, but they had a similar plan, which I think was mostly foiled because Rory was coming with us.

When we had finished our last German Lager, it was time to head out. They boys were to accompany us to our house so we could get our overnight things, and our driver would take us to Steph's place thereafter. Being the light-weights that we are, Rory and I were beyond buzzed, but we could still manage the walk in four-inch heels. Jon helped me out of the car, Parker guided Rory, and we walked to the door of the Gilmore residence.

"Nice place. Who did you say owns it again?" Jon asked.

Rory responded, "Oh, my grandparents. The Gilmore's. They bought it about six months ago and completely renovated the place. This is only my second time here, but it has already been more enjoyable than last time and this is only our first night here! Richard and Emily would not really approve of our state-of-mind."

"Or our company!" I chimed in. We both started giggling and Rory let us into the house. We pointed the guys toward the flat screen and I followed Rory to her room for some much needed girl talk.

"We don't have to go, you know, if you'd rather stay here and do something. Tom can drive the guys back home. It's no biggie," I suggested to Rory, to see if she was really interested in going out or not.

"No way! Did you _see _the cheek bones on Parker? Every time I look at him I want to touch his face. It's like when Lane, you remember Lane, right? She had this huge crush on Rich Bloomingfeld and his hair. He leaned over in front of her and she touched his hair, then ran away. I want to feel his face…" She was speaking so excitedly I could barely understand her.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Well let's get a move on so we can get there…Who's Rich Bloomingfeld?"

"What? Oh, I don't know, some kid from high school I guess." We both laughed and I ran upstairs to throw some of the essentials together; toothbrush and tooth paste, more comfortable clothes and shoes, clothes for tomorrow, etc. When we were finally ready to go we all but ran to the car eager for the night's festivities to continue. The drive took only ten or twenty minutes. I wasn't really paying attention to anything other than Jon's eyes and nose, and muscles. Oh, and his words too. When we weren't speaking I was thinking about Finn and Logan and even Parker, but I knew he was off limits. Tonight was, hopefully, one I would never forget.

As we pulled into the driveway I noticed that the small gathering we had planned on had turned into a huge party. There must have been twenty cars parked all over the drive. When the car came to a stop, I felt my heart rate increase. I was nervous and anxious. I wasn't normally the 'promiscuous' type, but even breathing near all these attractive guys made my stomach fill with butterflies. I was going to do something out of character tonight, and I knew it. From the moment I separated with Rory back at the Vineyard, I only now realized, I had subconsciously made my choice. I only hoped I wouldn't regret it.


	3. Berries and Something Else

If I was impressed with the Gilmore's home at the Vineyard, Steph's parent's place was exquisite! Just a charming 'little' three story abode built up on a bluff overlooking the water. After only being here for an half an hour, the amount of guests had doubled. I still hadn't seen Finn, Logan, Colin, or Stephanie. _They must be on a different level_. It was the only conclusion I could come to. Valiant as ever, Jon and Parker remained at our side from the moment we walked through the door and never allowed us to be empty handed.

"What is this I'm drinking again?" I didn't even care anymore. I had lost track of how many drinks I'd had fifteen minutes ago. "Heeey Rory, let's go dance! I _love_ this song!"

"I don't know what we've been drinking, but I haven't been this gone since college! Hey wait. I thought friends don't let friends dance drunk? Oh well, let's go!" Rory was in no better condition that I was. She grabbed my hand and we walked out to the part of the room where everyone was dancing. In no time we had the attention of some guys nearby and they came over to introduce themselves. However, they were thwarted when a protective Jon and Parker cut in.

Jon put his hands around my waist and pulled me close to him. "Hey babe, I was wondering where you ran off too."

This enraged me, "What are you talking about? You haven't left us alone for five minutes. And babe! Are you serious? I just met you!" I can't have just any guy tying me down tonight. I had expectations, and I knew Jon was too much of a gentleman to fulfill them.

He spoke softer now, "Hey I'm sorry. We just didn't want you to be taken advantage of. Some of these guys are real slimeballs and –"

I hated being treated like a child. Had I been in a more sober state, I would have realized how sweet Jon was and probably would have thanked him for it. That was not the case here, "Well thank you _Father_ but I have been taking care of myself since I was sixteen, and I don't need a bodyguard either! Come on Rory, let's go somewhere else." I called out before I looked around to see her. Apparently Rory didn't get the same rescue I had. Rather than try to take her off the market for every guy in the room looking for a little fun, Parker decide to go in for the kill. He and Rory were pressed up against the wall kissing and groping each other. "I guess I'm on my own then…" I mumbled as I headed for the stairs to the second story. I couldn't be angry with her; it was exactly what I wanted for her. Jealous, that's what I was. I didn't think she would be having the night I had envisioned for myself while I moped upstairs and into what appeared to be the game room, alone.

"Well lads, sorry to break the news, but my good luck charm just walked through the door." Finn, finally a familiar face that I wasn't trying to get away from. "Come over here and sit by me Luv. What's your name?"

Wow, Stephanie wasn't joking, "Finn, I'm Jace. I met you a few hours ago at the wine tasting, remember?"

"I never look back Luv, it distracts from the now. And right now, I am about to make these four gentlemen very, very poor. Royal flush, men. There you have it."

I didn't know the other guys at the table, but Finn was keeping my mind off of the green monster inside my head trying to hate Rory for being too pretty and too lucky and... _Stop it. She needs this_. It seemed like I was his 'good luck charm' because for the next half hour, he continued to win. I couldn't sit still any longer and I excused myself to explore the house further. I saw two people sneak upstairs flirting and kissing and it finally dawned on me as to where Stephanie and Collin were. I sighed, another lucky girl.

I stopped when I came to the room at the end of the hall. It appeared to be the home theater. I don't even remember what was on the screen. I looked around the dim room and didn't notice more than three other people in there. I needed to sit and think, and it seemed like a harmless enough place to do just that. I sat myself in the back corner of the room and laid my head against the back of the chair. _Why did I come here? _I should have know better than to think I would be able to let completely loose tonight. _Maybe I should go find Jon_? He could, at least, keep me company. He was nice, gentle, handsome, well gorgeous actually, and he seemed to like me well enough. _Although, I probably just ruined that for myself with my temper tantrum downstairs. Why can't I just be like every other girl my age and have casual sex with a stranger that I will never see again_?

"Casual sex, huh?" a man's voice chuckled next to me. I didn't even hear him sit down.

My eyes shot open and I sat up."What?"

"You just mumbled 'casual sex'." _I did_? Apparently my thoughts weren't as private as I expected they were. "I thought maybe you were offering." I could hear him smiling. "How about a drink first?" He handed me a glass, it smelled like berries and something else.

"Tequila!" I coughed as the drink burned down my throat, causing me to lean farther forward and slam my head against the seat in front of me. _Ow._

"Easy there Aphrodite. Sorry, I didn't realize this was going to turn into a musical number, are you okay?" He was still smiling. I could see the white of his teeth through the dark now that my eyes had adjusted.

"No, I could smell the berry flavor, but I couldn't pick out the other smell. Not until my eyes started watering. It was tequila. And yes I'm fine, just a little dizzier than a few minutes ago. Why did you call me 'Aphrodite'?"

He gave a quick chuckle and said, "Every guy around you has a steady eye on you. I figured you came in here to get away from all of their flirting. I saw how mad you were when you came upstairs and went into the game room. I thought you had…made your 'choice' when you went to sit next to Finn, but you looked frustrated quickly after so I decided to take my chances, and I followed you in here."

"Oh," was all my Cornell-educated brain could respond. I could feel my heart racing now and I wondered if he could hear it the way I could. I put my hand to my forehead to think and immediately flinched at the contact to the area I had just injured seconds before, "Ow, I think I wacked my head good."

"Let me see." He reached into the glass he had in his hand and I heard the ice moving inside. He touched his hand to my face where it was throbbing slightly and the chill of the ice sent shivers down my spine. At least, I think the ice is what did it… I looked up from the spot on the floor that I was embarrassingly trying to burn a whole through and met his dark eyes. It was then that I realized that the movie was no longer playing and I was alone with this sexy-voiced stranger. I could feel my blood pulsating at every inch of my body, lusting._ Time to get what I came for,_ I told myself and looked deeper into his eyes. He pulled his hand away, and used his fingertip to wipe away the trail that the water had left running down my cheek. I nervously looked off to the side at his touch. "Better?"

"Almost," I replied looking back to him. He was inclined toward me, a lot closer than he was before. I didn't move away.

"Are you sure?" It was a whisper. He wasn't asking me about my head injury anymore.

He barely waited for "yes" to escape my lips before he closed the gap between us holding my face gently to his. I let a breath of air escape and then breathed him in. The force of his scent caused me to lock my hands to his hair and let him take control from there…

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

The last thing I remember before blacking out from exhaustion were a few sentences between us. "I love being right," he whispered into the ear that wasn't pressed against his bare, sculpted chest.

"Right? About what?"

"I knew you liked blondes."

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

**Author's Note**

Never fear, I'm STILL totally for Rogan! I am unsure which direction to take from here. I have been playing around with jumping to Rory's P.O.V. or remaining the same. Please feel free to provide input and opinions! ( As always, all are welcome whether positive or negative) I have never written a fanfic before. Thanks!


	4. This isn't the Ritz Carlton

**Author's Note:**

I hope you are still sticking with me! Lot's will be revealed in the next chapter to come, but this chapter is a necessary transition! Also, I had added page breaks when I wrote chapters two and three, but they were not published on here, so I fixed that, and you may want to re-read those chapters to get the proper effect or to make sure you didn't miss any key breaks in the storyline. Thanks!

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

I probably should have remembered where I was, but the sight of the room I woke up in took me by surprise. My head hurt, or more specifically, my forehead. I touched my hand to the tender spot just below my hairline and memories started to come back to me; ice cubes, soft hands, a sexy half-smile, and, _oh yeah…_various acts of indecency._ Ugh, ow, _why did my neck hurt?_ Ah, right…_ I was still laying here, my head pillowed on my companion from the night before. I sat up slowly, cautiously, to take in my surroundings. It was almost pitch black, but I was certain that I would not have woken up with less than an adequate amount of sleep. Rory and I had traveled all day the day before and we went straight out to party. Even after gaining three hours in the time zone difference I had been exhausted. _Okay…no windows. No windows? Strange... Home theater! _I came in here last night to get away and never left. That would also explain why I was on the floor covered in various blankets rather than expensive, Egyptian-cotton sheets. _Cold…naked? I_still wasn't thinking in complete sentences, but I'd managed to crawl to the place I had left my belongings, including fresh clothes, in the corner of the room when I had first sat down. (I wasn't sure if standing was an option yet considering the throbbing that was happening between my ears and the unshakable urge to get sick.)

There was a blinking light coming from my bag. Rory had sent me a few text messages and I silently wondered how her night went before sliding my phone to illuminate the screen. 10:00 Am. _Ten a.m.! _We had been in here for at least nine hours. I quickly looked up the messages from Rory:

11:39 Pm: 'Oh wow, you are so off the hook tomorrow… Parker is great!'(She probably sent that when she came up for air after the smooching session I witnessed downstairs.) _Ugh, I hope Jon isn't angry with me. I am such a jerk…_

12:03 Am: 'bk hom tyl' (…_What?)_

12:04 Am: 'Sorry, I was holding the wrong buttons down…Tom is driving Parker and I back to _Chateau Gilmore_. Parker doesn't believe that my grandmother bought those glass apples…he doesn't know Emily Gilmore very well.' (_She left me here? I sure hope she's coming back for me. I really don't want that awkward 'morning after' conversation with this guy.) _I hadn't even looked to see who it was. I glanced over at the sleeping shadow in the center of the aisle, then back at my phone. (_It can wait until after I figure out what's going on with Rory.)_ I told myself, not really wanting to know if what 'they' say about beer goggles is true.

12:04 Am: 'Oh yeah, I will come back for you in the morning. I so owe you for this! I feel like a new woman and I'm not even sulking about 'him' right now! I will come with coffee! (We are going to have a rough morning tomorrow.) Did I thank you yet? Thank you!' (_Wow, she sounds happy… I could really use that coffee right about now.)_

My phone lit up in my hand just then:

10:06 Am: 'We're back! Man, I feel awful! I brought burritos and coffee. I hope you are awake…or at least, not 'busy'… ha ha! Let me know if you are up!'

I responded, 'I am awake, and definitely not 'busy'. Bring the coffee, leave the burritos…your rituals are twisted. I am just changing into new clothes. Come up the stairs to the second level and it's the last room at the end of the hall.'

I started slithering back to the location where I had slept to retrieve my missing shoes, still hesitant to stand. I stretched my arm out to grab hold of the heel of the nearest shoe. My hand was intercepted by someone else's. "Aphrodite…" My nickname from the previous night pulled my lips into a half smile, and I rolled my eyes. The man still lying on the floor turned over onto his side to meet my gaze smiling a triumphant smile. He pulled me closer and wrapped me into a tight embrace, then placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "How's your head? The bump, I mean."

"Oh fine, thanks. How's yours? The _hangover_, I mean." I sighed slightly at the realization that this would be the 'awkward part' I had been trying to avoid.

"I've been better, but no complaints about my present company…" we laid in silence for a moment. "I have to know; did you let our boy down easy before coming upstairs? Or did you leave him brokenhearted?"

"What boy? What are you talking about?"

"Jon. He was pretty confident that you'd stay by his side last night. He told me as soon as you came in, when he and I were at the bar." I was clearly missing something. Had I seen this guy before our rendezvous in the back of this very room? Why did it have to be so dark in here? And the rasp in his voice from drinking was making it difficult to place as well. "So have you ever been with another blonde before?" (The "other blonde" being me…) He laughed at his joke and pulled me in for another kiss, this time on the lips. _Wait a minute, a blonde?_

"Oh-my-God!" It sounded like one, painful, word.

" Logan!" The lights had just flipped on at my realization, literally. Someone turned the lights on, and two different voices spoke my very thoughts, the first female, and sounding shocked and horrified, the second male, sounding congratulatory. I heard a thud and splash as I watched my coffee drop to the floor and my best friend's feet hastily disappear from sight, leaving an open mouthed Parker, alone, in the doorway.

"Ace?" The name was barely audible.

Did he just say my name? "Yeah?"

"No, Rory…" he looked tense. "Was that Rory Gilmore?"He was standing before I finished blinking, and before I could answer, he was running out the door to the room in his boxers with his other clothes balled up in his arm.

Parker and I remained still while staring at each other with confused looks. Neither one of us could break the silence. I could see his mouth move as if he was going to say something but he would close it immediately. _What just happened? _

While the confusion continued, Logan finally wandered back into the room fully clothed, except for the jacket that was still next to me on the floor, staring at the ground and talking to himself. "Why now? It's been…13 months. _13 months_! Why is she here? Why is she looking for me?...She ran away. Why did she run away?..."

"Logan, are you ok man?" Finally, Parker was able to speak. I found myself content on staring, open mouthed, at the doorway. Logan didn't respond, but dragging footsteps were headed our way from somewhere down the hall.

"Okay Parker, this isn't the Ritz Carlton here. No one is going to clean that mess up for you, so grab some towels and get to scrubbing." It was Colin, making his way from the third story down to the first level of the home. "And don't let Steph see that…she'll start calling all the neighborhood dogs over with her screaming, and I am NOT cleaning up that mess..." He continued to pass letting out a big yawn and scratching his head, and Logan finally came out of his trance.

"Colin!" His tone was accusatory. "Who told Rory that we were here? It was Steph wasn't it. I _knew_ she was lying when she said they didn't have contact anymore. She said Rory got a new number while she was on the road and never gave it to her. That conniving, lying little who-"

"Whoa, what are you talking about? Logan, Stephanie really hasn't been able to get Rory. She was just telling me, not two weeks ago, that she blamed you for Rory getting a new phone number and not telling her. She looked pretty beat up about it too. She even threatened to call Richard and Emily." Thoughts were finally starting to form sentences in my mind. _Colin and Steph know Richard and Emily?_ Well, that made sense. I'm sure that whenever there are newcomers at The Vineyard, everyone gossips about their arrival. It is just an island, after all. _Why would Steph call Rory? Had they met on Rory's last trip here over winter?_

"I know she changed her number, okay? But I am willing to bet that Stephanie has it." He started pacing the room then in quick, short strides, chewing on his thumbnail and shaking his head from side to side.

"You know she has a new number? Logan, come on. Tell me what's going on! Why did you bring this up? Did she contact you or something?" Colin looked thoroughly lost, just as Parker and I did.

Logan reacted to Colin's first question by looking up rapidly, then back to the ground, resuming the pacing once he realized that he let slip how he knew Rory had a new phone number. He stopped suddenly and looked up at Parker, finally realizing he was the person who came in with Rory- all smiles and with his arm placed gently at her waist. Logan peered at his friend with mournful eyes, "Parker…you had your hand on her…." Logan's expression was that of pain and fury. Parker took a step back as realization passed through him. He looked back at his friend, eyes begging for forgiveness and Logan's face went completely white, then slightly green.

VACATION FUN-LOG DAY 1: Not so fun thus far…

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

**Author's Note:**

Let me know your feelings so far. I am always willing to edit things if something isn't making sense! Your help is amazing! Thanks to you all!


	5. Not Without Coffee

Parker looked sick. His hands were trembling as he continued to try defending himself, "Look, Logan, I…I…I didn't- I wouldn't- You told me to go for Jace's friend. I asked you if… I never-"

"I know what I said! So how did you get from saying that you were taking your date home and staying over at her place, to getting cozy with a new girl before breakfast? You did say that, right? I didn't just imagine the conversation we'd had right outside this very door just minutes before I came in here? I mean, I know you work fast but, come on!" The color in Logan's face had returned, but it was definitely a shade or two redder than I remember it being yesterday. Logan looked at his friend with prying eyes, waiting for his explanation, but Parker wasn't sure how to explain to Logan what was painfully obvious to both him and me.

"Logan," it was the first word I was able to blurt out through the haze of thoughts in my mind. It came out as if I was feeling sorry for him, trying to comfort him.

From the look on his face when he turned back at me, Logan had clearly forgotten that I was in the room at all, "Oh, god, Jace. I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run off on you like that, I just-"

"Logan, listen to me. I'm staying at my friend's grandparent's house here at The Vineyard…"

"Right, oh…you probably need a ride home, right? Because _Casanova _over here was supposed to bring her back for you, your friend I mean."

"Logan…he _did _come back here with my friend. I had a ride home until about fifteen minutes ago when she dropped my coffee," oh how I needed my coffee, " on the floor, and went storming out of this room." Logan didn't understand why I was sharing this information with him. Apparently more clarification was necessary. "I am staying at Richard and Emily Gilmore's home at Martha's Vineyard; Richard and Emily Gilmore, grandparents to _Rory Gilmore_."

Colin's jaw dropped as his glance shifted from me to Logan to Parker and back to me again. Logan propped himself against a nearby chair gesturing with his hands and looking as if he was trying to add all the events together. Then my own natural thought finally came back, hitting me with blunt force. _What have I done? _My one random act of promiscuity had put the health of my greatest friendship in a dyer state. Tears filled my eyes, nearly breaking through my, usually, solid exterior and I got up off the floor, heading straight for the nearest exit.

Someone grabbed my hand as I made my way through the doorway, "Jace stop. You didn't know…no one expected this. Even _Martha _couldn't see this coming."

"Parker, let go of my wrist. I need to find Rory. I have to…"

"Let me help you. We'll find her together. It's going to be fine. Rory is a smart woman, a brilliant woman actually, and she won't hold this against you."

Logan didn't really like Parker's feelings about Rory, "You, _Parker_, are not looking for anyone. I am going to find Rory. There is no need for you to be near her…ever."

Parker took a step forward to defend himself, but I cut him off, "Stop! No one is coming with me. No one will be_ near_ Rory, and if I can find her, I definitely don't want to have you two fighting about who can or can't talk to her first." I looked back to both of them, "Now let me _go_!" I ripped my hand from Parker's grasp, and lost the battle with my tears, as two rolled silently down my cheeks. I turned away and ran down the stairs to the front door, which was standing open. Rory was gone. I didn't have to look for the black Mercedes, driven by Tom, to know it.

All I could do was stand in the open doorway hoping Rory would forgive me and come back to get me out of here. I tried calling her, twice, but her phone rang until her voice-mail picked up both times. With the realization that there was no way Rory would come back here, I turned around to see the group from upstairs standing silently behind me. Jon and Stephanie had joined them also, and from the looks on their faces, they were in on the scandal too. Steph was the first to make a move in my direction. Without saying anything, she said everything, and pulled me into a hug where I was finally able to cry about what I'd done (_something awful_), how I felt (_terrible_), and the feelings my friend must be experiencing (_more painful than the other two feelings put together_).Someone else moved near then and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get you back, now. Come on, my car's out this way." Jon pulled me out of my breakdown and I nodded in acceptance of his offer.

The ride back to "Chateau Gilmore," as Rory had donned it, was much quieter than our ride to Steph's place. I could feel Jon's glances penetrating my thoughts; he was trying to decide if it was safe to speak. I finally decided that I should be the one to break the silence after my behavior last night. "Thank you, you know, for helping me. I don't deserve it. I'm such a jerk…"

"Jace. There is no way you could have known that what happened this morning was ever possible."

"I meant that I don't deserve you, acting so nice. I was out of my mind last night, and totally rude. I suppose this morning is just karma making her way back around to me." I couldn't even look him in the eye thanks to the amount of shame that consumed me. I stared at my fidgeting hands until he gently placed his hand on mine. His touch brought my eyes up to meet his briefly, "I'm sorry." He responded with a half smile and turned his focus back to the road.

Without any more words between us, Jon made the turn into the driveway that belonged to Richard and Emily. My heart skipped and I stopped breathing when I saw a grief-stricken Rory standing at the driver's side of the black Mercedes that I was desperately hoping to find here, leaning over as if giving the driver instructions. She tensed when she heard the tires of Jon's sport truck hit the brick of the drive, and quickly changed her demeanor toward the driver and sent him on his way. Jon stopped at the drop off area. I looked toward him with gratitude one more time and reached for the door handle.

"I'll stay, if you want me to, if you need me to."

"I think I need to face this one head on. You should go make sure Logan hasn't injured Parker yet. Thank you. Really." He gave me a smile and nodded as I opened the door and awaited my judgment.

"I was just asking Tom to go back to get you. I didn't want you to be stuck there…with _them." _Her "them" sounded more like a "him" to me. I looked back and waved Jon off. It seemed he was waiting for some sort of signal. "I take it you know why I left then?" I nodded, still afraid to speak. "I just couldn't be there in the same room with him. It made it all too real. It was as if someone had a huge billboard posted saying, 'See Rory, Logan's over it, so stop pining!' I'm not over it. It's been over a year and I still miss talking to him every day. I'm so sorry I left you…"

Ugh! Tears again, "Rory stop! I'm so, so sorry. You have no reason to apologize to me. I feel like you shouldn't even be speaking to me! He never said- you never told me who- What happened? Are you okay?" Rory didn't even look disappointed in me. How is it possible that I deserved her friendship?

Rory let out a long sigh, wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, and looked me in the eye. "Well, can we at least go inside? If I am going to talk to you about Logan, there's no way I'm doing it without coffee!" She started toward the door, looked back at me, and grabbed my arm. We walked side by side into the kitchen where she told me the history of Rory "Ace" Gilmore and Logan Huntzberger. (Yes, _those_Huntzberger's! Boy, when I do something…)

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X

**Author's Note:**

Wow, this chapter was a lot shorter than I thought it would be! If you feel something is missing, let me know! (I opted out of a fight scene between Logan & Parker and Rory & Jace because I feel that it wouldn't have been in character for either of them. I hope you weren't disappointed!) The next chapter will include a little meddling and a few people in "cahoots!" Thanks for sticking around!


	6. Don't Make me ask you Again

**Author's Note: **

Just a side note on something that surprised me… When I gave this story it's title, I knew one of the characters was going to use it in dialogue. My thoughts (up until I typed the text from the last chapter) were that Finn would speak those words, as he is usually the one with the sarcastic one-liners and quips. Part of me is still wondering if it should have been Finn, maybe somewhere else in the text, but it just seemed the perfect place for someone to say it (and I know better than to think Finn would be awake at 10:00 Am!) Just wondering if you readers out there had any opinions or thoughts on the subject? Now on to Chapter 6!

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

_Hello?_

"Hey, it's Jace. I need to see you. It's important."

_Oh, is everything okay? Are you alright? Is…is she-_

"Yeah, everything is fine. Rory is…well, she's dealing. You know her; she has incredible compartmentalizing skills…Wow that was weird- actually admitting to myself that you all know her, and probably better than I do."

_Wow, yeah. This is not the most ideal situation for all parties involved… So, you said you wanted to meet? What did you have in mind?_

"Can I pick you up in fifteen minutes? I told Rory I need to go to the store to stock up on food seeing as we probably won't be leaving here very much. You know, in case she runs into-"

_Yeah, I get it. You can pick me up at the end of the drive. Should I wear a cloak or something? This seems a little Poe._

"Okay, it's not even dark outside. If you feel the need to wear a cloak, don't blame Poe. I'll see you in fifteen.

_You caught me…no cloak then. Nevermore. I'll be waiting, bye._

I ended the phone call and breathed a heavy sigh. To make my cover story legitimate, I had to head in the direction of a grocery store and, at least, come back with some frozen dinners or pies. Luckily, Steph's place wasn't too far from town, so I could 'kill two birds with one stone' by heading in that direction. I grabbed my purse and made my way downstairs. I was headed for the door, and turned back, only to announce my departure, "Okay, I will be back in a little while. Are you sure you don't want to just come along? You're going to have to come out eventually." I had to shout through the house (I'm sure the Gilmore's would disapprove of that) to ensure Rory could hear me while she was cooped up in the library. She hadn't surfaced from the room in nearly 36 hours. Naturally, there was a bathroom attached and Rory grabbed some snacks before 'Miss Havisham-ing' it her favorite room of the house. I had to find a way to get her out of here. When we would cross paths over the last three days, she put on a happy face, but I could see the heartbreak in her eyes, old and new. I was agonized to be part of the "new" heartbreak, and I had to make it up to my friend in whatever way I could.

There was a long pause before she spoke back, "No, this book is too enthralling! I can't believe it took me this long to start reading it! I've been missing out!"

I walked out the door without responding. Who knows if she was actually reading a book that good or if she just wanted a reason to stay inside? It didn't really matter now. I only invited her so she wouldn't get suspicious. I smiled at my cleverness as I rifled though my purse looking for my keys as I noticed the keys I had "borrowed" to ensure Rory didn't sneak away while I was out. I really didn't want to get caught in the act with tensions high already! When I found what I was looking for I made my way to the cute little car that belonged to me (and I rarely got to drive while cooped up on a bus), started the motor, and when speeding around the corner headed for Steph's. Thank God we had Lorelai and Luke drop off cars here in case we wanted to do some sightseeing of our own, minus "Jeeves."

This time the drive seemed to take hours, and I was even going ten over. When I finally began to follow the last curve before the correct driveway, only six minutes early, I saw exactly what I was hoping to. The figure before me looked concerned, and anxious to figure out what this "secret" meeting was all about. I stopped right in front of the drive and unlocked the door. "Nice ride. BMW M6, right? I didn't realize they made a convertible. You must be one hell-of-a reporter to buy a car like this."

"My grandparents bought it for me for my college graduation. I like power, okay?" We smiled at the banter. Maybe this wasn't going to be as difficult as I anticipated. "And listen to you, Mr. _Huntzberger_, is it? How many Porsche's has your daddy bought for you?"

Logan laughed, and then declared, "Okay, okay, truce…Even if you are a _Cornell girl_."He mumbled the last line as another joke, but I ignored him this time. There was a more pressing subject that needed to be hashed out. I sped toward town and we rode in silence until I stopped in front of the local market. "I thought the store was just a cover. You don't _actually_ have to go to the place you came up with."

"It was a cover, but I figured I'd have to come back with food of some sort to stop any uncomfortable questions. We could talk here if you want, or there." I pointed to the café next-door.

"I could go for some coffee, my treat."

"Damn, how did you know I can't ever say 'no' to coffee? It's in the eyes, isn't it? You can see the desperation for caffeine." We walked into the café and chose a private location in the back of the room. Before he could ask what I wanted, I made my way to the counter to order my own drink. There was no way I wanted _anyone_ to think we were on a date. We had enough issues already. Logan didn't argue and ordered after me. We still didn't speak while we waited for our drinks and the tension building between us was almost tangible. When I got my coffee, I made a b-line for the table. I had to prepare myself mentally for the conversation I was about to provoke.

As Logan was seated, he looked at me as if he had a thousand questions, but he couldn't decide where to start. "So…for five dollars, this better be the best coffee I've ever ha-"

"Why did you go running after Rory when you saw her leave the room?" Well, I guess we were going to jump right into it. I thought I would have prepped him before sending him in to roast.

Logan was taken aback. He wasn't expecting my loaded question anymore than I had anticipated blurting it out. "Uh…I don't know. Reflex I guess."

"Logan, that wasn't reflex. I saw the way you looked after her. You were hopeful, then shocked. I'm sure I wasn't the only person in the room to notice. Parker was just as confused as I was."

"_Don't_ talk about Parker…" He tangled his hands in his, already messy, hair, let out a long, deep sigh, and spoke to the table, "I thought she was coming to look for me. I thought her and Steph and made arrangements for her to come and…I don't know, talk or something." He looked up at me through his eyelashes, clearly ashamed of being so desperate.

"She's heartbroken to ya know? Since the day I met her. I got used to it, but it is still hard to look at her when she has a memory about you or worse when I say something to trigger the memory. I _made_ her go out that night because I was tired of her not doing anything adventurous or, when she did come out, drinking herself into depression rather than drinking for fun. I can't even count the amount of restless nights she's had over you." He raised his head up, and continued to watch me as I recounted the conversation I'd had with Rory three days ago and told him about the times when I knew she had someone on her mind. "She'd talk to Lorelai about it when days would get really hard, but she reassured Rory that she was a bright girl and always knew what decisions were best for her. A few days or a week would pass where she'd start to relax, but then that look came back thanks to some moronic thing I would say or do, and she would enter the downward spiral again…Does this make any sense to you?"

Logan took a minute to check his composure before he spoke, "Well, yeah. I mean, we were together for a long time and the breakup was pretty abrupt. You don't think it's understandable?"

Logan, _why did you go running after Rory when you saw her leave the room_?" He was a Yale graduate for crying-out-loud. Surely he had the intelligence to put this riddle together.

"I told you, I thought she was looking for me and-"

"You _thought_ she was looking for you? Or you _wanted_ her to be looking for you? They are two completely different ideas, my friend."

"I guess maybe it was both. I was definitely convinced that that's why she came in, but when she took off, I was hoping that was why."

"Please don't make me ask you again…I know you have the answer in that blonde head of yours. Don't make all the jokes about us true…You went after Rory _because_…?"

Logan's stare was so difficult to sit though. His gaze was powerful enough for me to, nearly, forget why I had brought him here, but it was tortured on top of it. "…because I couldn't bear for her to walk out of my life again. Yeah, I did the 'technical' walking away before, but I didn't think I could live through losing her again even though I didn't have her."

"Yet…" That one word was enough to ignite the life into Logan's eyes again. _Crap, it's probably best if I don't stare at him directly._ "Logan, there is no doubt in my mind that Rory is as in love with you now as she was the day she saw you in a hospital bed after nearly killing yourself in Costa Rica, and probably more than that still. You want her in your life; she is desperately in love with you. I don't see any other solution to this other than you walking back _in_to her life."

"You're forgetting something. She made it very clear to me that I was not the man she wanted to marry. I don't see how any of this is relevant with that fact standing over us."

"Logan, seriously- stop being the martyr and wake up! Rory didn't say no to _you_, she said no to the timing. How could the person who knows her almost as well as her mother, expect Rory "I-analyze-everything-with-a-Pro/Con-List" Gilmore to make an over-night decision about the rest of her life? You forced her to say no. She thinks you wanted her to say no so that you didn't have to worry about dealing with distance again. It would be semi-logical for your relationship to end after a rejection like that instead of your being insecure."

"That's ludicrous!"

"Well, to someone who didn't get to explain their point of view before the love of her life stormed off, it could seem that way, don't you think?"

"Jace I… I love her; more than my pride, more than the 'family name,' and more than the heartache of any rejection. Does she…I mean, did she say anything about wanting to let go of what happened and starting where we left off?"

"Rory keeps her thoughts bottled like Christina Aguilera. If you are going to make this happen, it won't be rectified with coffee carts or notes from her mother. She needs to see and feel it from _you_ Logan. You're the only one that can convince her that what happened before can be fixed."

"You're right. And I'll do anything…how do I start? I need to talk to her, to see her. Ugh, she won't agree to that…"

"Relax Watson, I have a plan…"

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

Thoughts? Questions? Comments? You know what to do! I hope this is still exciting for you all to read!


	7. Phase 1

**_Author's Note:_**

**_Here's all of Chapter 7! Hope you enjoy it!_**

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

_Okay, I can play it cool. Just stick to the plan and everything will work out._ I had to repeat that to myself as I treaded back to the front door of The Gilmore's "summer home," and back to confront Rory. I stood there for nearly ten minutes going over the details that Logan and I had worked out.

After the meeting at the coffee shop I drove Logan back to Steph's place so we could clue the group in on Logan's "revelation" about his feelings for Rory. Colin and Stephanie were elated, I think partly because they were tired of being known as "the couple" in the group, Jon was supportive of his friend and went to the kitchen to get supplies for a champagne toast, Parker was still cautious and, while happy for Logan, he kept his distance in the opposite corner of the room (if you ask me, I think he's torn between his friendship with Logan and the small feelings he had started to develop for Rory), and Finn was…wait, where _was_ Finn? _Oh yeah, it was only 2:00, Finn wouldn't have been up until 3:30 or 4. _I smiled at the memory of the day I'd had so far, drew in a deep breath, and cautiously sauntered through the door. Now all we had to do was get Rory on board…

"Rory, I'm back! Sorry I took so long, I found this great little café and spent the whole afternoon there!" Okay, it wasn't the _whole_ truth, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. I couldn't worry about the little details. I needed to get to work on "Phase 1" of the plan. "Rory? Where are you?" I had a feeling I'd find Rory exactly where I'd left her, so I went up to my room to change into an outfit that would be more appropriate for the rest of the day. When I came back down, I headed straight for the library. There was a surprise; Rory sitting in the armchair with her nose stuffed in a book.

"Rory? Hello? Have you been abducted and replaced with a drone or what?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? And when did you get back? I'm _starving_! Did you happen to get a pizza? I could really go for some pepperoni right now. You wore _that_ to the grocery store?"

_Oh no!_ With all the scheming going on, I had totally forgotten that my mission was to go to the store. _Don't screw this up, think quick! _"Geeze…You've been a totally space cadet lately, I've been back for nearly half an hour! I drove to the store and then found that café, and that's when I decided I was no longer going to support your incarceration here. I just changed, and I am expecting you to do the same.

"We (that means you, Rory, and myself) are going out to dinner. Nothing fancy, just something to help insure our survival; mine through feeding my appetite, and yours because if we don't get out of this house tonight, I am going to throw you into the ocean and forget about this entire vacation. '_Rory who'_?"

Finally! A genuine smile broke out on her face. I hadn't seen that in days. "Well, for your information, I am a fantastic swimmer. If you're going to _off_ me, you'd better be more creative than that! Although, if you're expecting me to wear shoes like those," she pointed at my feet, "you may be better at torture than I thought…"

"I don't know what you're talking about… _These_ are my 'sensible' heels." We both had a chuckle. Rory thought anything above one inch was asking for the wrong kind of attention. The first time I met Lorelai she told me that Rory wasn't always so conservative. She said Rory had boxes of beautiful shoes and an entire closet of great dresses back in Stars Hollow. My only guess for her new taste in clothing was that she was trying to keep attention away from herself since her unfortunate breakup with Logan (and she would probably be even worse after the events from three days ago!) "Please tell me I don't have to pick out your outfit for you. We are on vacation here, so no cardigans!"

Rory rolled her eyes and shut the copy of _Moby Dick_she had been reading and got out of the chair. (_I knew she was lying about reading a book she had never gotten a chance to read! _Her and I had discussed or referenced _Moby Dick_ on numerous occasions.) She looked at me, her blue eyes nervous, and she nodded, agreeing to our dinner. "Since I don't have time to hire a personal dresser, you will have to do." She took me by the arm and led me to the closet in her room.

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

Rory was almost completely ready when I decided that the second part of "Phase 1" should be discussed. Rory spoke before I could begin, "Are these earrings to hippie? I don't know if I can pull off the hoop-thing."

"Hmm…try these." I handed her a simple tear-drop shaped set. "Rory?"

"Uh oh…you look guilty. Why do you look guilty?"

Everyone always told me I was easy to read…great! I thought of something to cover it up, "No, not guilty exactly, it's just, a thought came to my mind and I wasn't sure if I was 'allowed' to think it…"

"Well, you have my attention. What's up?"

"It's nothing bad or anything, just an idea really…The other day, during our 'talk'," (she knew which "talk" I meant; the one where she poured her heart out about the years she was with Logan from how they met, both times, to his leaving her on her graduation day), "you mentioned that the only regret you had was losing touch with the friends you'd made while you were with…uh…"

"Logan… You can say his name. I mean, gosh Hester Prynne, I hope you were at least on a first-name-basis before you let him seduce you." _Did she just make a joke? A joke about my sex life with her ex-boyfriend?_ I stole a quick glance over to her. Her face showed comedy, her eyes confirmed tragedy. "Don't look at me like that. It was funny! And the only way I'm going to wrap my mind around it is if we joke about it. It's that, or Jerry Springer."

"Well, Springer's out. You aren't my mom or sister and I am pretty sure Logan wasn't a cross-dressing stripper so…Do I have to actually have to wear the 'A' or can we just let this one go?" We smiled, and Rory let out a deep breath. "So…back to my question…I was wondering if you thought maybe we could give Stephanie a call. I'm sure she's dying to see you, and she doesn't have to tell anyone she will be with us. Maybe she could sneak off or make up some excuse to get away from all the guys? If you wanted to see her, that is."

Rory weighed the option for a short time and then looked almost hopeful. "That would be really great, but I definitely think she can't tell the guys that she is with you, or me. They're bound to sneak up on us if they find out, and I am_ not_ ready for that confrontation…Make the call. I will finish getting ready, and she can meet us somewhere. Where did you want to go anyway?"

"Hm, I didn't give it much though actually," thank God I wasn't facing her anymore, or she would have seen right through that lie. "Steph will probably know some place. I'll go call her." I moved out the door, probably a bit too eager, but Rory didn't notice. I dialed Stephanie right away. She must have been waiting next to her phone.

_Hello? Jace? How did it go?_

"Hey, 'Phase 1' is underway."

_That's great! Did you have to push her at all? She can be so stubborn sometimes. _

"Not at all! It was really easy, actually. I think she really wants to see you. Just make sure Logan doesn't get impatient and ruin the night. This is crucial!" She silently agreed and I paused before speaking again, "Are we doing the right thing here? Meddling- Isn't there a horrible saying about people who meddle in the lives of others?"

_Relax. We aren't going to push her. We're just going to test the waters tonight. If she is really over everything from their past, we will find out. If she is still harboring feelings for Logan, we will know that too. Wasn't all this your idea to begin with?_

"Yeah, I just don't want to make this harder for her than it is. She started making jokes about my 'indiscretion' with Logan today. It was weird. She tried to play it off like it was 'so funny' that we both slept with the same guy…maybe _I'm_ not ready for this…I still feel horrible about the whole thing."

_She really made a joke about it? Was she really okay or was she just trying to make the situation more comfortable? Rory is good at deflecting things._

"Yeah, it definitely seemed more like a deflection to me. Okay, freak-out over. So we'll see you at the-"

"Jace, did you get a hold of her? Is she coming?" Rory was walking down the hall, dressed and ready for a girl's night out.

"Oh okay Steph, great idea!"

_Rory's back huh?_

"Uh-huh, yep. Alright then. 'The Black Dog Tavern' it is. Remember, it's just us girls. Bye now!" I hung up the phone with my heart rate slightly elevated. We were all counting on this night's success in order for the plan to work. "Okay, let's get going! I hear this place is always packed. I hope we can get a table!" Of course we could…Steph had already made the reservation. "Ready?"

"Yeah, as ready as I will ever be I suppose. I hope she isn't mad at me for cutting off communication. I just thought it would be best. I didn't want to cause friction between her and…Logan." I was sure of it then, his name was still hard for her to say without having an emotional breakdown.

"Hey, you don't need to explain that to me. You can fill her in as soon as we get there, but I have a feeling that you are already forgiven." We walked out the door and into the black Mercedes I had arranged to pick us up.

"Hey Tom," Rory greeted the driver with a truly happy smile.

He nodded, "Miss Gilmore, Miss Sheridan. Where can I take you?"

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

The evening was going great, just as planned. The three of us made jokes and told stories all through dinner, dessert and drinks. Rory begged Stephanie to forgive her. Steph assured Rory that there was no wrongdoing, except on Logan's behalf. We had been here for hours and I had definitely lost count of how many rounds we'd had so far. _Time to get back to the plan,_ I thought while watching a group of guys send drinks our way.

"Rory, I have to ask you something, and I'm just going to be blunt about it…" Alcohol prevented me from using regular protocol when bringing up her ex-boyfriend.

"Give her hell, Jace," was Stephanie's only reply.

"Rory, why didn't you go after Logan? You loved him, why didn't you fight for him?"

"Geesh, you weren't kidding! Where did that come from?" The drinks from our admirers had arrived and I downed mine immediately giving the guys a polite smile as gratitude.

"I just wanted to know, now answer the question!"

"I don't know. I was just tired of fighting for us, ya know? The odds had been against us right from the beginning when I somehow got the king of casual relationships to commit. When he proposed like that, in front of all those people, I just knew that he was looking for a way out. He knew that, out of any place in the world, my grandparent's house was _not_ the proper place. Why would I want to fight for that?"

Steph chimed in then, "You're out of your mind! There is no man on the planet that loves a woman as much as Logan loves you. He was afraid the new job he had lined up would scare you off. San Francisco is a bit different than Stars Hollow. He was scared and losing sight of you and the only solution was to bind himself to you however he could."

"Well that's a stupid reason to spring an impromptu proposal on a girl in front of one hundred people. He should have just told me! If we had talked about it or if he had even mentioned the idea of marriage in any serious connotation_ before_ the sneak attack, we would still be together now! Hell, we'd probably be living a happily married life in San Francisco eating nothing but avocados." Rory lost her composure then and rested her chin on her hand with a few tears sliding down her flushed cheeks. "Everything is so messed up. Why did he have to be here the same time I was? As soon as I was finally ready to consider letting the pain go, he walks back in…well, _storms_ back into my life! I don't want to love him anymore, it's just too much! I can't take this! He has _clearly_ gotten over me," she gestured in my direction and went back to crying. _Ouch. I am definitely not prepared enough to face the firing squad…_Tonight was not about me, it was about Rory. I held back the tears that immediately began to well up at her statement and forced a stern look onto my face.

"Rory," Steph and I said her name simultaneously. Steph played the comforting part by putting an arm around Rory's shoulder and pulling her into a half-hug, and I played the "forever prying" friend. _Here we go_, "Guys don't know how to get over a relationship anymore than we do! There's no science to it. Most guys feel that they have to 'get back out there' to get over someone. Time certainly hasn't helped you, and I sincerely doubt that Logan's actions helped him. Part of me wonders if he only was interested in me because my name is so close to 'Ace'," the scary part was that I really did think that. "Rory, thinking about Logan doesn't have to be painful! You have already admitted how you feel about him. You love him Rory. Face the facts and realize that there are definitely forces out there that wanted to give 'The Logan and Rory Saga' another chance!

"She's not far off here Rory, "Steph added. "Logan has been so torn up. This vacation is the first time any of us have seen Logan since he left for San Francisco. Colin and Finn played 'The Friend Card' on him and practically forced him to come. We don't hear from him more than once in a week, he goes to work and comes home, and repeats the steps six days a week, if not seven. Without you Rory, Logan doesn't really know how to be happy. He needs you. We all do."

Steph's words seemed to resonate around Rory's mind, but she wasn't speaking. I needed to push her further. "Rory, just come out with it! You're miserable, and heartbroken. You don't want to let Logan go because you know you want another chance to make it work. Say the words! Doesn't he mean the world to you now just like he did before?"

She tried to choose her words carefully, but they came out as more of a stutter, "I…He…it's just…ugh! Yes, okay? Yes! I don't want to stop loving him! I love him completely! But that doesn't help me at all seeing as _he_ was the one who wanted to end everything we had. He issued the ultimatum, he walked away from me, and he _stayed _away from me…What else is there to do besides love him from a distance?"

Little did she know? We had all that taken care of…Phase 1? COMPLETE.

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

**Author's Note:**

_**Okay, that's Chapter 7. Please leave me some feedback! I love getting critiqued. It only helps me better serve all of you! Thanks!**_


	8. To Save Her Wardrobe

_**Okay, here is all of Chapter 8! I hope you like it!**_

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

I woke up somewhere unfamiliar to me. By the look of the room, I had to be in a hotel; a very extravagant one. All I could think was, O_kay, how and when did I get here?_ The last things I remembered were dropping Rory of at home, making an excuse to go out so I could meet with Steph and the gang at a local pub to discuss "phase 2," and, I thought I went back home from there, but from the look of things, that didn't happen.

When I slipped out from under the silk-covered down comforter, I suddenly noticed that the only thing I was wearing was a pair of my favorite heels. (The pair I usually wear to help me seduce a man. _Huh, I must have put them on before sneaking out.) _I looked around for some clothing a saw a robe hanging from the curtain rod above the open window. _That is a weird place to hang a robe._ _I must have been _totally_ out of my mind last night._ I only remembered having three glasses of wine, but apparently my memory wasn't working too well. Only when I took the robe from the window, did I notice how bright it was outside, almost blinding. I was on a high level of the hotel and the room overlooked the vast, bright blue, ocean. I recognized that color from my best friend's eyes. I looked at them every day for the last thirteen months and the depthless color was unmistakable. _I hope Rory isn't worried, I must have called her. I would never leave her wondering where I was. _That was enough assurance for me to forget that thought and continue looking around the room. There was a pair of men's shoes by the door along with the contents of my purse. Not the purse itself, just everything I usually carried inside: lipstick, lip gloss, compact, keys, planner, pencil, condom wrapper…_oh God. Not again. _How was it possible that, in less than one week's time, I managed to have casual sex with two different strangers? What was I trying to prove? This was definitely not like me. I was a lot like Rory when it came to decisions; the weighing of options, pros and cons, etc. (I guess the key word now is "was.")

I picked up the items on the floor and walked over to the desk where my purse was resting and dropped everything in. I stood there, facing the window, trying to wrack my brain for the details of the night before. A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and reached under the robe that I, apparently, forgot to close, although I could have sworn that I had. "What do you think you're doing? The rule is, no clothing is allowed in the bedroom," the owner of the beautiful arms informed me. I smiled at his rule then gasped as he started kissing my neck.

As I was about to look over my shoulder to see who the amazing kissing belonged to, the door in front of me opened with great force. _Wasn't I just facing the window? I need coffee, majorly. _There before me, with a look of great distress, stood my best friend. I reached around to, embarrassingly, fasten my robe and then felt panic. "Rory, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I should have called you! Don't be mad, please. I don't even know how I got here, I thought I called you...How did you find me?"

"You are a _real _piece of work Jace! I let it go once, but this is beyond betrayal! I never thought you'd be the 'Angelina' to my 'Jennifer'!" She took off out the door, and out of sight.

"Wow, what's got her all uptight?" The voice behind me questioned with a chuckle.

When I turned to face him, a wave, no a tsunami, of guilt and horror crashed over me. Standing gloriously in front of me was Logan. I couldn't take my eyes off of him; soaking wet, and with nothing but a towel around his waist. When I contemplated what I had done, I turned on the spot to run after Rory. I opened the door, which Rory must have slammed shut, and charged into the living room. This room I remembered. It looked exactly like the living room at Steph's place. I didn't look hard, but I knew Rory wasn't there. Tears started freely flowing from my eyes as I continued my swift pace toward the front door, which was standing wide open, again. I ran out the door and up the driveway to the home belonging to the Gilmore's. All of my things had been thrown out the window and were now scattered all over the brick driveway. I ran up to the door and was about to break it down when I noticed the note attached to the knocker. It read _I will never forgive you._ I felt the pain of a knife going through my heart and jolted upright from my horizontal position in bed. _Thank God!_ (I was in the bed just up the stairs from Rory.) The pain from her words was enough to bring me back to reality. I wiped away the traitorous tears that had escaped in my sleep, leaned back down to the mattress with a sigh, and tried to slow my heart rate. The clock next to me read 4:47 a.m. I was terrified to go back to sleep.

"I am seriously disturbed," I spoke into the darkness. There was no way to deny my obvious attraction to the man my best friend was in love with. I had to remember that the ultimate goal was to make Rory happy again, and I knew that I would never let her down. With another drawn out sigh, I rolled over and went back into an uneasy sleep.

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

"Phase 2" of the plan was supposed to take place tonight. Steph "let slip" to Rory that the guys were going to hit up a few bars in town, and she suggested that we have a girl's-night-out in hopes of running into them. She met us at our place and we were getting ready to paint the town.

"Jace, can't I just wear something of yours? I can't find anything that doesn't belong to an Amish kindergartener," Rory was in a panic and throwing every item of clothing she owned on her bed. All Steph and I could do was laugh.

Trying to stifle the giggles I replied, "Rory, relax! You know we don't wear the same size shirt, my boobs are too big! Besides, Logan isn't going to care about your clothes."

"Yeah, if anything, you should probably wear something you don't really like because he will only worry about getting them off of you," Stephanie blurted out. We had all been sharing a bottle of champagne over the last hour which, sadly, was empty now.

We continued to joke a laugh as Rory was growing tenser. We were all startled when the door bell rang. "What? The driver's here already! We aren't supposed to leave for another hour and a half!" Rory's words were shouted in panic and her effort to find the perfect outfit became futile. She sat on the edge of the bed in defeat.

"Well I need to start getting ready. Steph, would you help me get my outfit together?" I asked conspiratorially.

"Oh! Um, yeah. Coming!" Steph jumped up giggling to herself. "Rory, you uh, might want to answer the door," she said over her shoulder and followed me out.

"You're just going to leave me here to fend for myself? You guys are the best friends a girl could have," she spat back with sarcasm and walked toward the front door. She opened it and shouted, "What?"

"Now is that anyway to greet the woman who, not only gave birth to you, but drove here from Stars Hollow just to save your wardrobe?"

"Mom! Oh my God! You're here! Wait, why are you here? What do you mean 'save my wardrobe'?" Rory leapt at her mother and pulled her into a massive hug.

"Okay, better, but still room for improvement. Next time, have a cup of coffee ready and waiting for me when I enter," Lorelai teased. Steph and Jace called me yesterday after your 'revelation' and I offered to drive the remnants of your closet over, knowing that you've been dressing like you're straight out of Amish country." We all laughed at her comment, noticing that, even with distance, this mother and daughter were running on the same brain waves.

The rest of the hour continued with more banter, and another bottle of champagne. Rory was finally dressed and looking sharp. She found a simple, soft pink-almost beige- knee-length dress which she said was one of her favorite gifts from Logan when he sent it to her from London. As soon as she put it on I thought if the perfect accessory and ran upstairs to get them.

I jogged back into the room with my arm extended holding the perfect shoes for Rory to wear with her dress. I looked down at my favorite, 'seductive' black high-heeled shoes and immediately felt the pain of last nights dream that I had desperately been trying to forget. I wiped the look of fear and shame off my face and looked up at Rory with a half smile. "These will be perfect, they work every time."

"Oh, they're perfect! Thanks Jace! You three really are the greatest friends anyone could have."

"I didn't realize I had raised a 'sentimental drunk.' Angry, sad, crazy, or loose, I could believe, but this is horrible. It must be your father's doing," Lorelai laughed. "Now you three get out of here and go get her man back!"

"Mom? Are you going to stay tonight or do you have to head back to Stars Hollow? I would love it if you were here for either our celebration, or to pick up the pieces after tonight. I am freaking out."

"Rory, everything will be fine, and I will stay as long as necessary. And you should probably stay away from drinking anymore if you're afraid of embarrassing yourself."

"Why? It's relaxing me." She looked confused.

"Because you're wearing your shoes on the wrong feet, kid." The four of us started laughing while Rory adjusted her shoe dilemma. Then Rory, Stephanie, and I headed out the door-all of us anxious to see how tonight would go.

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

_**Hang in there! The first part of the Rory/Logan reunion will follow in Chapter 9. I hope you weren't too angry with me during Jace's dream, but I wanted her to acknowledge that she had inappropriate feelings and reassure herself that Rory was more important. Thanks for reading!**_


	9. With a Twist

**So...the wait is over! I won't bore you with a long author's note. Instead, I will praise you and thank you for sticking around to help me get through this story! I hope you like this chapter...it was a LOT of work!**

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

"Rory, stop fidgeting. You look like you're having a fit or something," Stephanie noted as Rory continued to tap her heels.

"I'm sorry Steph, it's just…we've been here for two hours and we still haven't had any sign of them! They aren't coming. Let's just give up," Rory stated with defeat. The more she drank, the more nervous she became.

Just as I was about to reassure Rory that this was the best place we could possibly be tonight, a bartender came over with a new round of drinks. "Here you are ladies, complements of," she turned around and pointed at the bar, "that gentleman over there." We craned our heads around trying to spot the generous buyer but the bar was really crowded and it was impossible to see through to the other side of the mob.

"Could you tell him thanks, and ask him if he would please show himself so we can thank him properly?" Steph drunkenly requested of the bartender.

"Oh. Um, alright." She disappeared into the crowd of party-goers.

"I hope he's at least good looking!" I outwardly spoke. "There is a serious lack of eye-candy here tonight…I hope the guys come in here soon. I'm not going to make it much longer. What did Colin say about their schedule tonight Steph?" I looked at her knowingly, hoping that she would understand my backwards way of asking what time they had agreed upon.

"He was pretty vague, but he said this was the main, and last, stop of the night. He said they _should_ be here by ten or ten-thirty." She nodded toward me. She picked up her glass and took a sip. "Wow! This is amazing! I wonder what it is." Rory and I had some of ours as well.

A man's voice chimed in, "It's an Upside-down Tequila Slammer, with a Twist. A friend of mine, and I, invented it back in college," he gave a nervous grin.

"Well, you two sure knew how to make a strong, yet delicious beverage," I announced. "I hope you at least managed to get some sort of rights to this, because it is seriously-"

"Marty?" Rory interrupted. I couldn't tell if she was angry or excited to see him, and I don't think she could decipher her emotions either. She stood up to hug him, and then pushed him away as if he had wronged her in some way.

Steph and I were both thoroughly confused. "Um, Rory? Are you going to introduce us to your friend here?" I inquired. Marty appeared to be uneasy, as if he himself wasn't sure how this meeting would go.

"He's not my friend…well, he was…in the past. We…he…I…"Rory looked completely derailed. She clearly wasn't sure if running into this 'Marty' was a good idea. "We haven't seen each other in a long time…we were close, but he…I…we…Naked Guy!" Rory looked at me with desperate eyes. Her inebriated brain must have been fuzzy.

I had a moment of clarity, "Oh! Yeah, I know you!" Marty looked at me with confusion. "No, I don't know you, I just mean that Rory told me about how you two met; the hallway, her robe." Rory's stories were slowly coming back to me now, and unfortunately, my state of mind left me without proper social protocol, "You were super close until he admitted that he wanted more than friendship from you, right? And then he messed everything up with your actress friend…I can't remember her name, but he was still in love with you while he was with her, and he lied about knowing you… Well this night sure got interesting."

If there was any hope for Marty to feel comfortable talking to us, I had just ruined it. The bar was fairly dark, but I could see him tip his head down, and his ears turn a slight shade of crimson. He shifted his weight away from us, glanced at the exit, and spoke, "Yeah, well… I should probably go. I just wanted to say hi and I did, so, uh…bye."

He turned to walk away, but Steph stopped him by reaching for his arm. "No! Hey wait! Come sit down with us, at least for a minute. We haven't even had a chance to say thank you for the drinks yet!" Marty turned to Rory, who nodded her approval, and hesitantly took a seat at the table.

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

With a little more entertainment, the next half hour went by quite fast. Marty finally relaxed and we were all able to laugh about his and Rory's adventures together and he filled everyone in on what he was doing here at the Vineyard. From what Rory had told me about him, I always assumed Marty wasn't very well off in comparison to The Gilmore's. He informed us that his financial standing is not different except that his "Uncle Jerry" has taken him under his wing ever since they learned that wealthy Uncle Jerry is actually Marty's father. They came out for two weeks before Marty went back to Yale where he is attending grad school.

Both Rory and Marty had decided to "bury the hatchet," and forget the tension that had caused them to stop speaking completely.

"Hey, so Rory? How did you know about Marty's new daddy?" Steph asked her before finishing off her third Tequila Slammer.

Marty answered for her, "Well I had actually found out during the summer between our freshman and sophomore year at Yale. Rory was the first person I told when we started classes again."

"Oh, that's right!" Rory exclaimed and gave Marty a playful slap on the shoulder. "You met me outside of class and asked if I wanted coffee. I'm sure you knew the answer would be yes. You were quiet the _entire_ walk to the coffee cart and as soon as I placed my order, all of you thoughts came exploding out at once."

"Yeah, I spilled my guts and we were finally joking about it when-"

"Hey, hey! Well if it isn't the greatest bartender Yale has ever seen," a man chimed in. "Marty, good to see you again." Logan's hand forcefully reached across the table while leering angrily. Somehow I didn't think he actually thought it was good to see Marty.

"Logan, you're friends with a bar tender?" Colin asked with condescension.

"Always good to see you Colin," Marty answered back. He looked around at the three girls with nervous eyes again. It appeared that this wasn't a comfortable situation for him.

Logan spoke again, "Well, you sure clean up nice there Marty. No offence, but isn't Martha's Vineyard a bit out of your, uh- "

"Price range? Social status? Lifestyle?" Colin offered to no one in particular.

"Colin! I can't believe you would still treat someone like that, especially one of my friends!" Rory scolded. "I guess some people never mature." Rory stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"Really Colin, lay off," Logan interjected as Marty was about to defend himself. "You are such a putz sometimes. We weren't supposed to make her mad." Logan turned to Marty, "I apologize for my friend's ignorant behavior. He doesn't relate to people very well, as you can probably tell. So, Marty…What brings you here to the Vineyard?"

It was as if Logan was being overly polite. _Why was he so interested in Marty? What did he matter? Was he really trying to befriend him?_ I was running different scenarios and possibilities through my mind. Suddenly it dawned on me, _He wants to know if Marty is here for Rory! Poor Logan. He is clearly unsure if tonight is really going to be what brings them back together. I have to do something._ Sometime during all my thinking the rest of the guys showed up and were seated around Steph and me, and an out of place Marty. Rory was still in the bathroom. This was my chance to get Logan and Rory to talk alone without eavesdroppers snooping. (Naturally I didn't include myself in that category…I was trying to help them!)

I started listening to the conversation to find my opening. It seemed that they were all discussing the festivities of the evening. Parker started to speak up, "I couldn't believe what I was witnessing! I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, staring and trying not to laugh."

Jon grumbled to himself and responded, "Yeah, easy for you to say! You weren't the one getting propositioned by an eighty-year-old! I didn't even know how to respond. I was glaring at her with this idiotic look on my face…"

"It was priceless! Thank God I remembered to capture it on film!" Finn added.

While the jokes continued to propel the conversation I reached my arm behind Logan, who was now seated next to me at the table, and grabbed a small bit of his hair. "Ow! Hey, what did you do that for?" he yelled.

"Oh…crap! My bracelet is caught in your hair! I was just trying to flag the bartender!" I quickly explained and gave his hair another tug while holding back a laugh. "Wow, it's really stuck in there…"

"Hey! Cut it out! I'm not ready to go prematurely bald!"

The rest of the group just laughed at Logan and me without getting up to offer help, which is what I was counting on. "Okay, I can't see anything over here. There's more light over there," I pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "Come on drama queen. I need to get this untangled."

"Ow, okay. I'm coming. Slow down," Logan said as we stood up. I ushered him to the back of the bar with my fingers still gripping his hair. "It isn't any brighter over here Jace. How are you going to see to get this thing out?"

"Relax! There's plenty of light in there," I responded and pointed at the girl's bathroom.

"There's more light in the girl's bathroom than out here?"

I looked off to the left momentarily and back to his eyes. They were confused, nervous, and my favorite shade of chocolate…Ugh! "Yes! Now get in there!" I opened the door, let go of his hair and pushed him through the opening while I remained at the entrance, blocking his and Rory's only escape. Logan rubbed the back of his head as he stumbled backwards into the bathroom. I pointed toward the only stall with the door closed and whispered, "Go talk to her, and don't be a jerk!"

Logan looked from me to the stall, where only Rory's feet could be seen, and back to me again. Before he could say anything to me I closed the door and stood guard at the other side so they could talk in private. I heard his knocking on the stall door and pressed my curious ear against the door to the bathroom. "Go away…everything is all wrong. This was a stupid idea you guys." I could tell by the sound of her voice that Rory was embarrassed about how her second encounter with Logan had gone. I could practically see the distress on her face. "I don't know how I ever thought that Logan…that he…"

"Well, spit it out Ace. You've never been one to be speechless."

"Logan!"

I didn't hear the first part of their conversation because some girl and her date were trying to get past me to have a little session in the bathroom. "Oh, sorry you two. It's a mess in there. Clogging and flooding and…well I'll spare you the gory details, but you do _not_ want to go in there! I am just waiting for the custodian to get here…" The lusting couple just shrugged and headed toward the opposite bathroom. I rolled my eyes and pressed my ear to the door once again. _There isn't any talking…Why isn't there any talking?_

**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**X**

**So that's it! Please let me know what you thought of chapter nine! I still don't know what to think...thanks for stopping by!**

**~~Melinda**


	10. The Best Medicine

_I've been forgetting these, sorry for the 'false update,' but I wanted to add them in before I forget completely!:_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not claim to own the rights to "Gilmore Girls" or it's characters. No copyright infringement intended._

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

_57…58…59…_ I had been watching the clock over the bar the entire time of the silence. _Well, it's been a solid four minutes and I still can't hear any sounds coming from the bathroom._ The trouble now was that so much time had passed, I was afraid to open the door and witness what could be happening inside. _Suck it up Jace. Just one peek to make sure they are okay and then run like hell…_ I reached out for the handle just as the door forcefully opened and Rory came charging out muttering a nearly inaudible, "Oh my God," as she pushed by without noticing me. _Were those tears? _Logan was just two beats behind her but I stopped him.

"I thought I told you not to be a jerk! You were so desperate for her that you couldn't keep it in your pants until you got home? Who are you, Collin Farrel? This is exactly what I was afr-"

Looking defeated, Logan finally interrupted my attack, "No! Nothing happened! I said 'Hey Ace,' she looked me in the eye, smiled, turned green and faced the toilet, then proceeded to projectile vomit for the next…however long. Then she stormed out before I could say anything to her."

"Thanks for the visual…it's exactly what I needed to end the night." I let out a long sigh and pressed my hand to my forehead trying to figure out how Rory could have gotten so sick from a few drinks spaced out over several hours. We were pretty tipsy, but she could usually drink me under the table. (She always credited Lorelai for that ability.) "So, what did you do? Why didn't you come for help?"

Logan looked up to the ceiling for the memory to return, "I was about to. I turned to walk out of the stall and she grabbed my wrist. I thought she wanted me to stay, so I made sure her hair and her clothes were secure and…waited. I just waited for it to be over."

"Tequila!" I shouted and slapped my hand to my forehead. Rory could never hold her tequila.

"Again with the tequila? Do you get royalties every time you shout it out or something?" Logan wondered.

"No! That's why she got sick. We were drinking wine all night, but when Marty came over, we switched to something with tequila in it. Rory can't-"

"…Hold her tequila. Yeah, I remember…"

He was going to continue but Steph ran over looking worried, "Hey, Rory's upset. She said she just wants to go…We should probably…" She looked from Logan to me and I nodded.

"Yeah, we should go." Logan looked defeated and started walking toward his friends, and a very uncomfortable Marty, who were blissfully unaware of what was happening. I turned to Steph, "Hey, call Tom, tell him to come get us, and wait with her. I'll meet you out there." She nodded and walked back toward the exit. I turned and followed Logan back to the table.

"Why so glum Logan? Did Jace have to cut your hair or something?" Colin chimed in. The others hadn't noticed his return yet.

Finn perked up at Logan's reappearance, "Logan! Hey Mate, I was just telling this bloke here about the time where we invited these chicks back to the house and you slept with one and it turned out that she was Rory's friend and you found out when Parker came back after a turn in the sack with Rory and they saw you and you saw them and… Hey! That girl, right there, she looks just like one of 'em…What? Why are you looking at me like that Colin? Don't you remember?"

"Of course we remember Finn! It was last week! Sometimes I wonder how you have survived to be twenty six," Colin retorted.

I stepped up to the table, red faced, to address the guys, "Well, not that re-living the most shameful moments of my life isn't fun or anything…But we have a slight problem. Rory's gone, she embarrassed herself and I honestly don't know how we can rectify this one. I will let Logan fill you in on the details. I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving. Please start trying to figure out how to fix this… I don't want to see her cry anymore. It's…it's too hard," my voice cracked on the last part of my speech and for one second, I let my shame break my composure one last time. Wiping the lone tear off my cheek, hopefully before anyone would notice, I remembered the lonely person at the table, "Marty, thank you for the drinks, it was really great to finally put a face to the nick-name," I smiled. "If you want to keep in touch with Rory, write your number on this," I tossed him a dry drink napkin, "and I'll make sure she gets it."

He quickly grabbed the pen off the table and scribbled down his information. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Logan scowled at Marty. "Thanks…Jace, right?" I nodded and Marty got up from the table. "It was nice to meet you too. Logan, guys, always a pleasure," and with those parting words, Marty walked off.

I took that as my cue, "Alright, well, talk to Steph when she comes home and I guess we'll hope there is something we can do." I looked down at the ground once more, trying to rid my mind of the painful memories Finn so kindly brought back. "Good night." I walked toward the exit and my waiting friends, only to be stopped by Jon placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, stop beating yourself up. Finn's an idiot sometimes. Don't let him get to you okay? Seriously he's just-"

"I'm fine really. And thanks…Well, I really should go," I gestured toward the door, Jon nodded in acknowledgement and I made my exit to find the black Mercedes waiting for me. Ensuring that my emotional reserves were in check, I let out one more sigh and got into the car where Steph was holding a blotchy-faced Rory. It looked like she had stopped crying and just wanted comfort from her friends. I silently thanked Lorelai for waiting at the house for us. We were definitely going to need backup.

"Where to, Miss Sheridan?" Tom asked.

"Home, please," I responded as I went to sit next to Rory, and taking her hand in mine we drove back to the Gilmore's summer home in understanding silence.

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

Laughter really was the best medicine. Steph had phoned Lorelai just after calling for the driver and when we arrived back at the house, we were bombarded with piles of all our favorite junk foods and a stack of "Brat Pack" movies sitting on the coffee table in the living room. "Pizza's on the way," Lorelai called out from the kitchen.

Rory instantly perked up at hearing her mother's voice. "Pizza, hmm. I could really go for some-"

"Chinese?" Lorelai laughed as she came out of the kitchen with her arms full of little white Chinese Food take-out boxes.

We all joined in the laughter and instantly felt better. "Where on Earth did you get Chinese Food at Martha's Vineyard?" Steph asked, amazed.

"It's all about who you know…" Lorelai quipped. We looked at her a little confused. "Or about how much you are willing to threaten the local steakhouse for the location of such an establishment."

More laughter ensued as we all got comfortable on the oversized couch. It was silently acknowledged that we wouldn't speak of what happened, at least, not tonight. Tonight was about Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and their friends.

"This can't be real," I announced cryptically. The others looked at me with curious eyes. "Am I actually going to take part in a 'No joke - Lorelai certified - 100% genuine - No talking - No rewinding - No interruptions - Gilmore Girl Movie night'?" Steph and I gazed toward the Gilmore's with mocked awe.

"Well, I was planning on forgoing the rules, just for tonight, considering that you've all been out drinking and will probably have to take several breaks, but if it's that important to you, you'd better make all your pit stops now. Because once this bus is moving, we stop for no man...or woman! I don't care how tiny you say your bladder is."

Steph and I looked at each other and nodded. "We accept the challenge," I declared, then got up quickly.

"Giving up already?" Rory asked smiling. Wow, it was good to see her smile like that. My best friend looked truly happy. I inwardly hoped that it would last.

"Hell no!" I shouted as I started running away from them.

"Where are you going?" Steph wondered.

"I am one of those 'tiny bladder people'… I need to at least give myself a chance at making it through tonight!"

I heard someone mutter, "Wuss!" as I closed the door to the bathroom. It was followed by more giggling and laughing. I already knew that tonight was going to be a night that the four of us would always remember. And it would be a happy memory, not one filled with the pain of why we were here to begin with. I realized at that moment that the horrific events of the last week wouldn't be what we remembered. A few years from now when we looked back, we would remember the laughs and the embarrassing moments and all our thoughts about Martha's Vineyard would be good ones…especially if we could get through the next part of "The Plan" without any more issues.

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

I woke the next morning to the sound of shuffling and shouting, only then to realize that I couldn't see anything and I was moving against my own will. Now I could hear laughter. I started struggling as I listened harder to pick up on what was happening around me.

"Put me down!" I heard Steph cry out. Her order was followed by more laughter.

"How did you get in here anyway? This place has more security than Alcatraz!" Rory shouted.

Finally one of our captors spoke and I instantly felt stupid for feeling alarmed. Who else would try to pull this off? "Relax Rory! Your mom let us in." Colin. Of course Colin would have a hand in this.

"Mom, you knew about this!" Rory's voice drifted away and I assumed that her and Steph were already whisked outside, probably being shoved into a trunk, just for laughs.

"Sorry kid!" Lorelai called from behind me. "They called last night before you got back and asked permission. How could I deny them their fun?"

I stopped my struggle, held back a laugh and replied, "Maybe for the health and safety of your daughter and her friends?"

"That's why we stayed up so late watching movies! And well, Finn was very reassuring on the phone. I trust him…" There was an eerie silence and even my "captor" stopped walking out of shock. "Okay, what was I thinking? Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Colin, are you sure this is going to be safe?" Lorelai sounded genuinely worried.

The transporting of me started again and laughter came from the man carrying me to my fate. "Relax Lorelai. We explained everything on the phone, we won't deviate from the plan," Jon assured her.

I was instantly righted and then escorted up a step and into a seat right next to someone. "Jace?" The voice of Steph spoke.

"Yeah it's me. Rory, where are you?"

"I'm next to Steph," she answered back. I jumped as I felt arms reach across my body and there was another rumble of laughter.

"Safety first!" Parker chuckled and buckled my seatbelt.

"My God, you all are loud this morning. Can we please get moving? My skin is starting to rash from the sunlight." Of course Finn was there...

The car doors slammed shut and the car lunged forward, taking us to Who-Knows-Where, and I was a little excited.

**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**x**

**_I know! I am so mean to leave you with yet another cliff hanger. I don't think this one's that bad though. Is it? _**

**_I feel that this story is winding down. I know there won't be anything else in the way of our happy ending so things should move pretty quickly from here. Maybe 2 chapters left? Thanks again for reading my first FF. If you like my writing at all or want to see something a little different, I have another idea for a story (Rory/Logan, of course) and I would love some thoughts on it. I will post the info in my profile._**

**_I love all of you for making it this far! I love hearing from you through your reviews, and I am still willing to accept the positive or negative. Either kind will help! Thanks!_**

**_~Melinda_**


End file.
